Bowling-alley.



D. CUTLER.

BOWLING ALLEY.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 17, 1914.

Lmmwm I Patented Jan. 5, 1915.

Way 1.

pnrajnp ermine ra rnnrr DAVID CUTLER, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND.

BOWLING-ALLEY.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, DAVID CUTLER, a citizen of the United States ofAmerica, and resident of Baltimore, Maryland, have invented certainImprovements in Bowling- Alleys, of which the following is aspecification.

This invention relates to a ball-deflecting device adapted forapplication to a bowling alley, whereby a ball which, by accident or badplay, takes such an oblique course as to pass from the bed to one of theadiacent gutters leading to the pit in which is stationed the setter-upattendant, is returned to the bed at such an angle as will carry it intothe pin space, thus giving the player a second chance to score, as willhereinafter fully appear.

In the further description of the invention, which follows, reference ismade to the accompanying drawing, forming a part hereof, and in whichFigure 1 is a plan view of a part of an ordinary bowling alley, providedwith the present invention, and 2 an end view of Fig. 1, looking in thedirection indicated by the arrow in that figure. Fig. 3 is a sectiontaken on the broken line ac-m in Fig. 1, except that the device formingthe subject of the present invention is shown in full lines. Figs. 4, 5,6. 7 and 8 are sections of Fig. 3 taken respectively on the broken linesa, 72, 0, cl and 6.

Referring now to the drawing, 1 is the bed of the alley, and 2 the pitat the end thereof.

3. 3 are the gutters at the sides of the bed, and 4. 1 the guard railsof the gutters.

5, 5 are the ball-deflectors which are placed in the gutters 3 andsecured therein by any suitable means. The securing devices shown inFigs. 1, 4, 7 and 8 of the drawing. consist of angular metallic strips 7fastened by screws to the upper surface of the deflectors and the inwardsurface of the guard rails.

The deflectors consist each, in a block the under surface of which has atransverse curvature corresponding to that of the gutter as shown inFigs. 5, 6, 7, and 8. The inner side of the block is provided with alongitudinally ascending groove, or open Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Jan. 5, 1915..

Application filed April 17, 1914. Serial No. 832,431.

channel 9 the bottom of which at the entrance end, is flush with thecurved surface of the gutter, so as to offer no obstruction to theentering ball; and at the delivery end is flush with the upper surfaceof the bed 1. The channel 9 is also curved inward toward thelongitudinal central line of the alley, as best shown by the dotted line2 in Fig. 1.

In order that the ball in traversing the upwardly inclined surface ofthe channel, will not by inertia rise higher than the bed 1, as it isdelivered thereto, the channel, while it may be open at the top at theen trance end, becomes gradually covered as it approaches the dischargeor delivery end, as best shown in Fig. 2 in which balls denoted by 12are seen as having passed to the bed.

From the foregoing description. it will be understood that the ball uponentering the channel has its course gradually changed to one leading tothe bed, and at the same time. is prevented from rising to anyappreciable extent above the bed. thus adapting it to strike pins in itspath in a manner similar to that of a ball delivered straight along thebed.

I have shown and described what appears to me to be the mostadvantageous construction of the ball-deflector, but it is evident thatmany alterations in the same can be made without changing the result ofits employment which consists in conducting a ball which has left thebed and passed to the gutter, again to the bed in such manner that it ispossible for it to strike one or more of the standing pins.

I claim as my invention 1. In combination with the bed of a bowlingallev having a gutter at the side thereof, a ball-deflect ng devicesituated in the gutter, p ovided with a curved longitudinally extendingchannel which connects the said gutter with the surface of the bed.

2. Tn combination with the bed of a bowling alley having a gutter at thes de thereof, a ball-deflect ng device situated in the gutter. providedwith an upwardly inclined and inwardly curved channel whereby a balltraversing the channel is transferred from the gutter to the surface ofthe bed.

3. In combination with the bed of a bowling alley having a gutter at theside thereof, the bed in a direction leading practically to aball-deflecting device situated in the gutthe spots for the standingpins.

ter, the same having an upwardly inclined, T

and inwardly curved surface Which leads ID CUTLER from the bottom of thegutter to the surface Witnesses:

of the bed, whereby a ball traversing the R. EDGAR QUARLEs,

said surface is transferred to the surface of E. S. QUAnLns.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

